Can you prove that love is real?

Synopsis

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…isn’t it?

Emily Anderson adores romance—both in books and in real life (though her own love life is more ‘tragic subplot’ than ‘happily-ever-after’). As an audiobook narrator, she spends her days bringing love stories to life, convinced that one day, her own perfect romance will come true.

Jude Cavendish, thinks romance is a fairy tale for fools. A crime author with a serious case of writer’s block, he’s horrified when his publisher asks him to add a love story to his latest novel. He knows murders, mysteries, and mayhem—not grand gestures and stolen kisses.

Desperate for help, Jude reluctantly turns to Emily, whose sunshine personality is the complete opposite of his grumpy cynicism. She’s determined to show him that love is more than just fiction, and he’s determined to prove her wrong. But as Christmas magic sparkles over the Cornish coast, Jude starts to wonder… what if Emily’s right?

Could the festive season bring them both the plot twist they never saw coming?

My review

Emily Anderson loves romance, both in real life and in books. Even if there is no romance in her own life, she truly believes that love is real, just look at her parents! After a lucky encounter a few years ago, now she also has the job of her dreams, as an audiobook narrator, with her own small fanbase. Surrounded by romance, she also truly believes that one day, she will experience that great romance story of her own. But her new task is for sure an unexpected one, as she is hired by famous crime author Jude Cavendish. With a publisher in common, Jude needs Emily’s help, as he has been requested to add some romance in his latest book. If only Jude were to believe that love is real… Emily hopes that she is able to prove Jude that love is real, and not just a matter of a transaction. And with Christmas looming around the corner, and leaving London for the Corish Coast for the festivities, will Emily show Jude the magic of love and perhaps even experience it herself?

It’s no secret that I am a great fan of Jo Bartlett. She has the amazing talent of writing heartfelt stories, whether it is about Cornish midwives, or families facing great tragedies. No matter what the story is about, she always manages to capture my attention and just doesn’t let go until I have reached the end.

Another amazing thing about Jo is her ability for her readers to not only sympathize with the main characters, but as a reader, you also recognize yourself in one or even several characters. And that for sure was something I had with Emily.

I am a real romantic at heart, believing in that great amazing thing that love is. However, just like Emily, I haven’t been that lucky yet in finding my perfect match. But that doesn’t stop me from believing that it exist.

And just like Emily, I can be swept away in books where the most heart touching love stories are happening.

But those are not the only similarities I had with Emily. Emily is content with her current life at the start of the book, but she isn’t living her life at the fullest. She has a job, but just like for so many people amongst us, it isn’t her actual dream job.

I liked to read, even if it is pure fictional, how one trip truly changes Emily’s life for the better. Emily not only encounters her favourite author, but that same encounter also gives her career a complete twist, making of her an audiobook narrator.

Oh, and this all happens rather early on the book! So can you imagine my curiosity of what else would be happening? 😊

Emily is such a sunny character, how can you not like her? And that all despite she has been through. Not that she had an unhappy upbringing, but it wasn’t easy with a mother with health problems. And yet we see Emily and her family stick together, go to every high and every low together, united.

Jude couldn’t be more different than Emily. And the more I got to know him, the more my heart ached for him. His life shows us how events from the past can scar us, how events, incidents can become demons that haunt us for years. And how, unfortunately for Jude, how a loss can affect the relationship between a father and a son…

So I couldn’t blame him for not believing in any kind of love, as he has been hurt just too often by people that claimed or should have loved him…

And I could understand why Jude isn’t writing anything romantic in his books. Even when I am reading books from crime authors, I am also hoping there will be lighter moments filled with, why not, some love.

Emily and Jude being chalk and cheese would be an understatement. They get along, it’s not that they cannot stand each other, but they just see things so differently.

It for sure seems like a mission impossible, making Jude believe that love is real. I could feel his bitterness while he is explaining that he sees love just as a part of a transaction. And while it saddened me (or rather, broke my heart), I could understand him, and where he came from.

And how heart – warming was it to see Emily’s attempt to make Jude see how wonderful love can be. We all know how beautiful it can be, but in a unique way, Emily also shows Jude *all* the aspects of love, not just the romantic way of it.

Jo Bartlett shows us in this beautiful story that love for sure works in mysterious ways. And seeing Jude melting bit by bit, starting to believe in this weird thing that love is, yet never losing the essence of what Jude makes Jude, just great. And this with an Emily who never loses her belief and makes it even her mission to ‘convert’ Jude…

And what a nice addition to see some old friends of mine again! That for sure added an extra smile on my face!

I absolutely devoured this heart – warming story! Jo Bartlett manages to capture the essence of what love is in this wonderful book, and through Emily’s character she is able to make everyone believe in love (again). And I am for sure curious to see the kind of book Jude has finally written! 😊